Self-extinguishing gas-burner



Patented Feb. 22,1881;

y UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE,

NATHANIEL SLEEMAN, OF ANSONIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO LEWIS HOTCHKISS, OF BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT.

SELF-EXTINGUISHING GAS-BURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,169, dated February 22, 1881.

Application filed September20,18BO. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NATHANIEL SLEEMAN, ot Ausonia, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Self-ExtinguishingGas-Burner5 and I dohereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon, to bev a full, clear, and exact description of the same, 1o and which said drawing constitutes part of this specification, and represents a vertical central section.

This invention relates to an improvementin that class of gas-burnersdesigned especially l 5 for street-lamps, and which are so constructed that a certain reduction of the pressure will automatically shut oli" the gas.

In the previous burners. of my invention, for which Letters Patent have been granted zo me, I have experienced serious difliculty from the clogging of the mechanism which raises the cup for the purpose of lighting, and from the uncertainty of the operation ot the extinguisher. 2 5 The object of this invention is to overcome these difficulties; and it consists in the construction hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claim.

Arepresents a cylinder or case, which forms 3o the chamber B, provided at its lower end with a socket, C, for attachment to thegas-pipes, and centrally at the top with a gas-burner, D. Within the chamber B a tube, a, extends from the bottom upward and opens into the chamber 3 5 from the gas-inlet b.

` d is an inverted cup arranged to move vertically within the chamber, and provided with a flange, e, surrounding the tube ct, extending downward, but to a less extent than the outer 4o flange or side of the cup, as shown, so that when the cup rests on the bottom of the chamber B, or other support prepared for it, the inner iliange, e, will not reach the bottom. At one side of the central tube, a, is a second similar tube, f, through which aspindle,g, extends and is attached to aninverted cup, h, which surrounds the tube f. The cup d is constructed with one or more perforations, '5, at or near the top, and opening into the space outside the 5o ange e.

The chamber B is supplied with mercury up to a point above the lower edge of theiiange e, as at l, so that when the cup stands upon its support the lower edge of the iian gee will be immersed therein. Hence gas entering through the tube a passes within the flange e, from whence it cannot escape, because of the immersion of the lower edge of the iiange c in the mercury; but if the cup be raised, as indicated in broken lines, so as to take the lange 6o e above the surface of the mercury, then the gas will pass below the flange e, above the mercury, thence through the opening i into the burner. The weight ot the cup is such that the pressure of the gas upon the small surface within the tlange e is not sucient to raise it; but when the cup is raised so as to permit the gas to enter within the entire cup, the pressure of the gas on the increased area is sufticient to support the cup in that raised 7o position, and thus maintain a constant tlow under that predetermined or standard pressure of the gas. If, then, the cup be down, so as to cut oft the iiow of gas, the cup may be raised by pressing upward on the spindle g, which raises the cup It against the cup d, so as to raise the said cup d to a position to permit the low of the gas, and when free the spindle g and its cup h return to their place of rest, and may be aided in so doing by means of a 8o spring, or its equivalent, applied thereto. It' the pressure be reduced below that required to support the cup d, then the cup will fall and bring the flange e into the mercury, and thereby cut oif the dow of gas and extinguish the light.

It is desirable to regulate thetlow ot' gas, so that if the pressure should from any cause be increased from the standard pressure, the subsequent increase in dow of gas may be 9o avoided. To this end a valve, n, is. attached to the cup d by a spindle through the tube a,

so that if the cup rises the valve n will rise toward the opening into the chamber and diminish that opening until the standard pressure or flow is obtained; or the valve may be applied above and work in the same relative manner to govern the passage from the chamber to the burner. By this construction the gas-burner is brought entirely above and cenroo trally overthe governing mechanism, whichl is the most desirable position, because of less shadow than when at one side, and overcomes the friction and liability to clog of the burner, and also places the cup-raising device where it has no effect whatever upon the free movement of the cup, it being entirely independent and detached from the cup. Again, the free low of gas into the chamber above the cup prevents any liability of jumping Adj usting-weights may be applied directly to the cup, so as to vary or change the said pressure.

While the cup 7L attached to the spindle is preferred, the spindle may be made to t so close in the cylinder that the escape of gas around it would beim possible. I do not, therefore, wish to limit the invention to the cup h as a means for preventing the escape of gas around the spindle, but prefer itto any other device known to me.

I do not broadly claim a burner combined with a chamber having a cup with differential ianges immersed in mercury to regulate and cut oft the gas; neither do I broadly claim a regulating-valve to govern the i'low of gas, as such I am aware is not new; but

1. In a self-extinguishing gas-burner, the combination of the following elements: first, a case which contains the extinguishing apparatus, and provided with a vertical tube extending up from the bottom and opening from the gas-supply, and also provided with a fluid 'surrounding said tube; second, an inverted cup over said tube, its side immersed in the said fluid, and arranged to move vertically within the said case, provided upon its inside with a iiange extending downward around said tube into the fluid, so as to entirely cutoff' the flow of gas, but to a less depth than the side of the cup, and a gas-opening between said flange and the side of the cup into the gaschamber above; third, a stationary burner opening from the gas-chamber, all substantially as described.

2. In a self-extinguishing gas-burner, the combination ot' the following elements: lirst,

a case which contains the extinguishing apparatus and forms a gas-chamber above said apparatus, and provided with a vertical tube extending up from the bottom and opening from the gas-supply, and also provided with a fluid surrounding?ir said tube; second, an inverted cup over said tube, its side immersed in the said uid and arranged to move vertically within the said case, provided upon its inside with a flange extending downward around said tube into the uid, so as to entirely cut oft' the low of gas, but to a less depth than the side ot' the cup, and a gas-opening between said flange andi-Stile side of the cup into the gaschamber above; third, a stationary burner opening from the gas-chamber; fourth, a valve attached to and moving with said cup, operating bythe movement ot' the said cup to regulate the flow of the gas through the said tube, all substantially as described.

3. In a self -extinguishing gas-burner, the combination of a self-acting extinguishing apparatus, within a case which forms a gas-chamber above said apparatus, with a stationary burner opening from said gas-chamber, with a tube extending from the bottom of the inclosing-case upward Within the extinguishing-cup, and a spindle movable vertically in said tube, whereby the said extinguishing-cup may be mechanically raised for the purpose of opening the ow of gas, substantially as described.

4. In a self-extinguishing gas-burner, the combination of a self-acting extinguishing apparatus, within a casewhich forms a gas-chamber above said apparatus, with a stationary burner opening from said gas-cham ber, and a tube extending from the bottom of the inclosing-case upward Within the extinguishing-cup, a spindle movable vertically in said tube, and an inverted cup attached to the upper end of said 'spindle and surrounding said tube, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

NATHANIEL SLEEMAN.

Witnesses:

J. H. SHUMWAY, L. D. ROGERS. 

